Results 12,121-12,140 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney

Leaders' Questions (3 Jul 2018)

Simon Coveney: The Government is now trying to put more than 200 beds back into the system. We need to be realistic about the challenge we all face. We have for the first time a collective agreement on how to take forward health policy. This Government had the maturity to talk to Opposition parties to ensure that regardless of whoever is in government in the years ahead-----

Leaders' Questions (3 Jul 2018)

Simon Coveney: -----we would have some consistency of health policy, unlike in Deputy Martin's time in government.

Leaders' Questions (3 Jul 2018)

Simon Coveney: With regard to the Deputy's last question, I am told that an executive director is about to be appointed after a long recruitment process. This is a new departure. It has taken time to get it right. We are focused on trying to get the right person and putting the right structures around that person to make sure that an executive director can deliver on the potential and ambition of the...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Military Uniforms (3 Jul 2018)

Simon Coveney: The wearing of foreign military uniforms in the State is governed by Section 317 of the Defence Act 1954. The provisions of this section prohibit the wearing of a foreign military uniform without ministerial permission. My Department routinely receives such requests from various States, which are shared with other Government Departments, including the Department of Defence and the Department...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: European Council Meetings (3 Jul 2018)

Simon Coveney: I attended the EU Foreign Affairs Council in Luxembourg on 25 June, where Ministers discussed security and defence, the implementation of the EU Global Strategy, developments in the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea, and Jordan. We were also briefed on the situation in Yemen by the UN Special Envoy. My EU colleagues and I discussed ongoing work on security and defence issues, and took stock...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: European Council Meetings (3 Jul 2018)

Simon Coveney: I had a bilateral meeting in the margins of the Foreign Affairs Council on 25 June with the new Spanish Foreign Minister, Josep Borrell. I congratulated him on his recent appointment and wished him well in his new role. We discussed Brexit and I updated him on the progress that has been made to date on Irish issues and on the UK Prime Minister’s December and March commitments in...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Northern Ireland (3 Jul 2018)

Simon Coveney: Over the course of many months, the Irish and British Governments, as co-guarantors of the Good Friday Agreement, have worked tirelessly to support and facilitate the parties in their efforts to form an Executive. The devolved, power-sharing institutions are at the heart of the Good Friday Agreement and are the best means for achieving accountable, representative decision-making for all...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Ministerial Meetings (3 Jul 2018)

Simon Coveney: On Thursday 21 June, I attended a meeting between the Taoiseach and the President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker. Also present were EU’s Chief Negotiator on the UK’s withdrawal from the UK, Michel Barnier, and Commissioner Hogan. The meeting provided an important opportunity to take stock of the state of play in the EU-UK negotiations in advance of the June...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Northern Ireland (3 Jul 2018)

Simon Coveney: I am in very regular contact with the leaders of Sinn Féin and of all of the political parties in Northern Ireland, in fulfilment of the Government’s role as co-guarantor of the Good Friday Agreement, as we work with the British Government to seek a way beyond the current impasse on the operation of the devolved institutions of the Agreement. The Secretary of State for...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Departmental Expenditure (3 Jul 2018)

Simon Coveney: There has been no expenditure on commercial archaeology services within this Department in the years 2013 to 2017, or to date in 2018.

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Ministerial Communications (3 Jul 2018)

Simon Coveney: Presidential and parliamentary elections took place in Turkey on Sunday 24 June. The preliminary conclusions of an OSCE/Council of Europe International Election Observation Mission are that voters had a genuine choice, despite the lack of conditions for contestants to compete on an equal basis. They said the incumbent President and his party enjoyed a notable advantage and that this was...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Electric Vehicles (3 Jul 2018)

Simon Coveney: No charging ports or parking bays for electric vehicles are provided at my Department’s buildings in Dublin or in other locations.

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Middle East Issues (3 Jul 2018)

Simon Coveney: All construction work in Gaza is severely hampered by Israeli restrictions on types and quantities of materials that are allowed into the Strip. This includes reconstruction of war damaged buildings, including large numbers of houses, and construction of essential infrastructure, such as badly needed water, sewage and electricity utilities. Even those projects which are approved are subject...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Middle East Issues (3 Jul 2018)

Simon Coveney: The situation in Gaza and the West Bank continues to be a major topic of international interest and discussions, even as multiple other crises and conflicts currently afflicting the wider Middle East region also demand our attention. International attention is focused both on specific issues and events in Gaza and the West Bank, and the broader objective of a resolution of the conflict and an...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Ministerial Meetings (3 Jul 2018)

Simon Coveney: Ireland and Denmark have a close bilateral relationship, strengthened by our shared membership of the European Union where we share common positions on many issues. In the context of the Government’s goal of strengthening of alliances with the Nordic and Baltic countries, there have already been six ministerial visits to Denmark this year. Last year, Mr Anders Samuelsen, Foreign...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Disability Support Services (3 Jul 2018)

Simon Coveney: My Department, which has responsibility for the Passport Service, has a designated officer in its Human Resources Section to act as Access Officer. The Access Officer co-ordinates the provision of assistance and guidance to people with disabilities in accessing services provided by my Department and generally to act as a point of contact for people with disabilities wishing to access such...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Emigrant Support Services (3 Jul 2018)

Simon Coveney: The budget for the Emigrant Support Programme in 2018 is €11.595 million and is unchanged in recent years. An increase of 15% on the 2018 budget would cost €1,739,250, leading to a total figure of €13,334,250.

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Human Rights (3 Jul 2018)

Simon Coveney: I was appalled by the images which recently emerged of immigrant children being separated from their parents at the southern US border and held in detention by the US authorities. I made my, and the Government’s, view of this policy very clear when I spoke on June 20 in the course of the Dáil debate on this issue. On that occasion, I stated that the policy of separating...

Questions on Promised Legislation (28 Jun 2018)

Simon Coveney: The Minister for Education and Skills, in particular, has been active in dramatically increasing the number of apprenticeship programmes. Approximately, 80,000 more people have been employed on building sites throughout the country in the past year, which is a dramatic change. However, we need apprenticeships to an extent that we have not needed them for a decade in other sectors too. I...

Criminal Justice (Victims of Crime) (Amendment) Bill 2018: First Stage (28 Jun 2018)

Simon Coveney: No.